Apple is stepping foot in new ground as they prepare to launch the Apple Watch. Prior to this, the company has never sold anything that people could wear. However, the idea of buying a smartwatch has been proving difficult with smartwatches such as the Samsung Gear already on the market and struggling to sell.
To tackle this, Apple will have be branding the watch as a fashion piece and a gadget. We have seen their decision to brand it as a fashion piece with their 12 page ad in Vogue’s March issue.
Part of their plan to brand it as a fashion piece and a gadget is where they are choosing to sell it. Of course, the “gadget” part will be from selling it as Apple Store locations; the fashion part will be which stores are granted access to sell the watch. Macy’s, Saks 5th, Bloomindale’s, and other major retailers are not putting together plans to carry the watch. Nordstrom might, though. Which would put a big foot hold in Apple’s plans to be branding it as a fashion accessory.
Going for this marketing avenue will prove tricky for Apple, since fashion conscious people are not always easy to please. A benefit to Apple is that their advertising and branding have already positioned them as a status symbol. The question is, though, will fashion consumers see the watch as something that can be worn at even formal occasions?
Have questions or comments? Connect with Integraphix in our comments section or on social media! As a Chicago branding company, we are excited to see how this all plays out.
Tags: apple, apple watch, branding, chicago branding agency, chicago branding company